Chocolate Bread Pudding Zoraida

This is a recipe I will be demoing at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's Chocolate Festival on January 22, 2010

Yield: 10 Servings

Ingredients
2.5 lbs – Bread (May be old, hard bread)
6 cups – Whole Milk
2 ea – Eggs
1 cup – Sugar
1 teaspoon – Vanilla Extract
8oz – Sweet Cream Butter, melted
1 teaspoon – Ground Cinnamon
2 tablespoons – Vegetable Oil
1.5 bars - Dark Baking Chocolate
1 oz - Dark Chocolate Shavings

Tools
1 – Pan (rectangular, disposable, aluminum)
1 – Large Bowl
1 – Wooden Spoon
1 – Rubber Spatula
1 - Measuring Cup
1 – Set of measuring spoons

How to:
1. Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees and placing a rack on the bottom half of the oven.
2. Grease the aluminum pan with the vegetable oil and set aside.
3. Tear all of the bread into small pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, melted butter and ground cinnamon to the bread mixing periodically.
5. Once all the ingredients have been well incorporated pour the mixture into the greased aluminum pan.
6. Break up your chocolate bars into ½ inch pieces (leaving an ounce or two to shave) and place on top of the mixture gently poking them to help them work their way into the mixture. Sprinkle the shavings over the mixture.
7. Place in the oven for approximately 75 minutes. (Remember all ovens are different, so be sure to check your bread pudding after 60 minutes.)
8. Once the top is nicely browned and pudding is sturdy, take out of the oven let rest for 15 minutes.
9. Serve and enjoy with a nice glass of milk.

Note: This recipe can be altered to be more calorie conscience by using 4oz of Splenda instead of sugar and skim milk.